iWay-Safety.com: Internet Lifestyles News & Views

Sun, 04 Nov 2007 00:47:13 GMT

The Global Sympathetic Audience. Quick blogs like Twitter can be a social safety net. By NOAM COHEN. [NYT > Technology]

MasterCard Shuts Down 1,400 Phishing Sites

Sat, 14 May 2005 02:59:18 GMT

MasterCard International Inc. said Tuesday that it has shut down nearly 1,400 phishing sites and more than 750 sites suspected of selling illegal credit-card information since launching an ID-theft-prevention program in June (2004). The program also has led to the discovery and protection of more than 35,000 MasterCard account numbers that were in jeopardy of being compromised.

Dating background checks up for debate

Tue, 19 Apr 2005 14:05:34 GMT

Some lawmakers say that as online dating becomes more popular, users need better protection from predators. Twenty-six million people visited dating sites in January, according to the Internet research firm Nielsen/NetRatings. The Senate is considering legislation that would require an Internet dating company serving Michigan residents to disclose on its Web site whether it has conducted criminal background checks on users, based solely on the names provided. A provider also would have to disclose the limitations of background checks and urge members to adhere to safe dating practices. The legislation is backed by True.com, the only online dating service that performs criminal screening. Similar legislation has been proposed in five other states: California, Ohio, Virginia, Florida and Texas.

Critics — including most online sites — say any feeling of security would be deceptive because there is no way to ensure people give their real names. [Further] ... the measure blatantly favors True.com and argue that the free market should drive demand for background checks, not the government. [Good grief! How did we date (safely) before the Internet came along?]

Prying eyes are everywhere

Tue, 19 Apr 2005 13:29:25 GMT

Husbands and wives, moms and dads, even neighbors and friends increasingly are succumbing to the temptation to snoop, thanks to a growing array of inexpensive, easily accessible high-tech sleuthing tools once available only to professional investigators. And a growing amount of free personal information is so easy to find online that many Internet regulars don't think of it as spying. Plug a name into Google and you have an instant background check. Spying is so common that thousands of Web sites and dozens of retailers across the country now sell surveillance tools, and business has never been better, says Jason Woodside of the International Spy Shop in San Francisco.

BUT ... A Florida state appeals court judge, for example, ruled in February that spy software that a wife had installed on her husband's computer was illegal. Other cases in the headlines involve a Colorado Springs man who was arrested in February after he was accused of planting a GPS device in his wife's car to track her. And after a privacy outcry, an elementary school in Sutter, Calif., abandoned a plan that gave children mandatory radio-frequency ID badges so the school would know where they were at all times. [It seems inevitable that we eventually "turn the gun on ourselves".]

Keystroke Logger Surreptitiously Installed at New Zealand Internet Cafe

Wed, 09 Mar 2005 17:14:57 GMT

A cyber thief in Wellington, New Zealand apparently installed keystroke-logging software at an Internet cafe that allowed him to harvest user names and passwords belonging to people who conducted online banking there. Consumers are being warned to use caution while banking on line. [Experts warn against using internet cafes when sending/receiving sensitive information. Who needs to be warned about this?!]

Online Dating Sites Quarrel Over Background Checks

Mon, 07 Mar 2005 00:51:31 GMT

True.com has taken on the rest of the online dating industry in pushing state legislators to require matchmaking sites to conduct criminal background checks on members or post a warning that no such screening has been done.

Company backlash strikes gripe sites

Mon, 07 Feb 2005 21:31:17 GMT

Company backlash strikes gripe sites By James McNair, The Cincinnati Enquirer

Quick-tempered Americans really lose it when they've been had as consumers. Increasingly, they are taking out their anger on strongly worded Internet gripe sites. Take a look at www.MyVWLemon.com, which boasts 2,000 members and about 15,000 message board postings from Volkswagen buyers.Many such sites exist. But a growing number of consumers around the nation are eliciting an unexpected response from the companies they're assailing: lawsuits and legal threats. As companies find their names and logos besmirched on Web gripe sites, they unleash allegations ranging from trademark violations to defamation.

Jury awards $434,000 to woman who met husband online

Fri, 19 Nov 2004 19:29:47 GMT

A federal jury Thursday awarded a woman $434,000 in damages after she sued an Internet matchmaking service that introduced her to her abusive husband.

Open Season on Others' Ideas

Mon, 15 Nov 2004 03:26:11 GMT

There have always been free riders in various walks of life. But the digital revolution and the rise of networked computers have brought us to the brink of a halcyon age for those who want something for nothing. Intellectual property is the new currency, and it appears that free riders have hit the jackpot.

Letting the Internet Knock on the Door

Sun, 14 Nov 2004 01:21:06 GMT

Jared Nissim didn't know his [Neighbors] in his East Village [New York City] building, and it bugged him. [So he started an effort ] that evolved [into ] his Web site MeetTheNeighbors.org, begun last month ... One person takes the initiative to register the building, pass out fliers and plan a get-together, enabling neighbors to create "real-life, in-person, face-to-face relationships." So far, about 500 people in more than 200 buildings have registered. Mr. Nissim estimates that 80 percent of the participants are in New York City, though buildings (and neighborhoods) elsewhere are welcome to join.

Web Sites Help Ease Grind of Daily Commute

Sat, 13 Nov 2004 12:20:49 GMT

The Internet not only is transforming the way we shop and search for information, but it also is quietly smoothing the grind of the daily commute.

Careful How You Complain On The Internet

Mon, 08 Nov 2004 23:11:22 GMT

A Georgia couple launches a website to complain about the lousy job a company did putting siding on their house. The company sues, claiming defamation. The case may help clarify the limits of online free speech

Usability of Websites for Children

Fri, 29 Oct 2004 19:09:57 GMT

From the Nielsen Norman Group - 70 design guidelines based on usability studies with kids. $129 for a single report ( 128 pages in PDF format ), $249 for the report and the right to make copies within your organization.

The guidelines are based on usability tests of the following sites:

ABC news for Kids
Alfy
Belmont Bank Kids' corner
Bonus
Boom
Free Zone
Fun Brain
Galim
Game Brain
Game Goo
Kids Korner
Kids.co.il
Kids.com
Loop
MaMaMedia
Playhouse Disney
Sesame Street
Sport Illustrated for Kids
Squigly's Playhouse
The Kidz Page
Willy Wonka
Yahooligans!
Yoyo
Zeeks

as well as usability tests of children using the following sites intended for grownups:

Amazon.com
weather.com
Yahoo!

Home PCs not protected

Wed, 27 Oct 2004 23:45:34 GMT

In findings, from a detailed survey of 329 consumers that included inspections of each of their home computers, released Monday by America Online and the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), a picture emerges of consumers increasingly using their home PCs for sensitive, online transactions without adequately protecting themselves from cybercrime.

While 77% of the survey respondents believed they were safe from online threats, two-thirds lacked current anti-virus software and did not use any firewall protection. More than half said they did not understand the difference between the two. Yet 84% stored personal data on their home PCs, and 72% routinely used the Internet for sensitive transactions, such as banking and medical data exchanges.

Linksgiving.com

Sat, 23 Oct 2004 15:26:52 GMT

Linksgiving.com features links of all sorts to various topics such as Humanities, Education, Medicine, Sports, etc. Linksgiving.com's aim is to create a high-quality collection of links to the most interesting and useful Web sites. This site will not be an alternative to the very famous search engines... but when you visit Linksgiving.com, you not only get to visit Web sites, but you get to share them as well.

How Parents Can Be IM Watchdogs

Sat, 23 Oct 2004 13:45:33 GMT

Some 41 percent of all Internet users use IM to communicate in real time, according to comScore Media Metrix, a research group that measures Internet demographics. Among users ages 12 to 17, the proportion is even bigger: 55 percent. Conscientious parents are careful about whom their children associate with, but many of the tried and true methods of monitoring behavior are ineffective when it comes to the Internet. But there are tools that allow parents to monitor and restrict children's use of instant messaging services. Controls range from blocking access to limiting your child's contacts, or even controlling what can be typed in an instant message window. The best protection strategy depends on the type of IM system your children use.

Colorado Man Gets Web-Arranged Kidney Transplant

Thu, 21 Oct 2004 19:56:16 GMT

A 58-year-old Colorado man received a new kidney on Wednesday in the first transplant operation in the United States using an organ found on a private Web site ( MatchingDonors.com ), hospital officials said.

Warning on internet health advice

Mon, 18 Oct 2004 17:05:49 GMT

People with chronic disease should think twice before relying on the internet for health advice, research suggests. The study found interactive computer tools do improve medical knowledge. But there was no evidence they change behaviour positively, and some that they left people in worse health.

First Look: Surfing on Your MSN TV

Thu, 14 Oct 2004 01:18:08 GMT

MSN TV 2 Internet & Media PlayerMicrosoft's new MSN TV 2 Internet & Media Player just doesn't know what it wants to be. On one hand, it's a television-based Internet appliance that lets PC-less folks surf the Internet; on the other, it's a home networking device that lets savvy users use their television to access digital content (like music and photos) stored on their PC. At the first task, it works reasonably well. But as a networking tool, MSN TV 2 leaves plenty to be desired

Program predicts cancer risks

Wed, 13 Oct 2004 17:49:47 GMT

A computer program can predict a woman's risk of breast or ovarian cancer with unprecedented accuracy.

Site eases voter registration

Wed, 13 Oct 2004 17:32:28 GMT

In August, Joshua Rosen, a San Francisco entrepreneur and art director, went live with a Web site that makes it very simple for people to register to vote. Since its inception, Rosen's site, www.justvote.org, has joined the ranks of higher-profile, big-spending Web sites such as www.rockthevote.com, www.declare yourself.com and www.yourvotematters.org. Operating on a shoestring budget of about $30,000, JustVote.org has registered more than 250,000 voters in just two months. That makes the site one of the most successful grassroots voter drives in advance of the Nov. 2 presidential election.

EarthLink Offers Free VoIP

Thu, 07 Oct 2004 00:39:47 GMT

EarthLink Free Online Calling is essentially a stripped-down version of EarthLink Unlimited Voice. The free service is available to the million-plus EarthLink broadband customers, who can use it to call each other and others using SIP (session initiation protocol)-based services. Partnerships with SIP providers SIPphone and Free World Dialup enable free VoIP access to a wider range of users.

Users do have to purchase either a computer headset or an analog-telephone adapter to access the service. Included are unlimited, high-quality calls to SIP users, voicemail accessible via e-mail, an online calling log and online signup and account management. EarthLink's Unlimited Voice service, introduced in March 2003, offers unlimited calling for a flat rate of $39.99 per month. It includes a lot more features than the free offering.

New Company Launches Google Challenge

Fri, 01 Oct 2004 01:03:28 GMT

Vivisimo has entered the crowded Internet-search market with a new site called "Clusty." [Very interesting approach to searching the web or any other data repository. Give it a try.]

AOL Boosts Security with New 'Passcode'

Wed, 22 Sep 2004 01:17:33 GMT

AOL PassCode uses SecurID, a token-authentication technology developed by RSA that features a keychain-size device that generates and displays a unique six-digit numeric security code every 60 seconds. AOL customers who sign up for the service enter their account password and the current device code in order to access their account. If the authentication server system validates the code, the user can access the AOL account. If not, access is denied. AOL contends that SecurID provides a higher standard of protection through a two-factor authentication system commonly employed by financial institutions, technology companies and other enterprises. AOL PassCode is offered for a one-time fee of US$9.95 for each device, plus $1.95 to $4.95 per month, depending on the number of screen names on the account that are secured to a PassCode device. [Finally! A big step up in security by a major provider albeit at a premium. The future is at least "two-factor" authentication.]

Tours on Foot Planned Online

Mon, 20 Sep 2004 00:34:33 GMT

While the Web makes most travel-related research easier, there are few sites that provide truly informative and well-organized self-guided tours. "You have to pick out bits and pieces from different sites," said Dr. Stefancic, associate professor of history at Saint Mary's College in Notre Dame, Ind.. "There's no way to find the ideal walking tour for yourself in one place." That is certainly true for someone trying to tailor walking tours to the tastes of 50 people, as Dr. Stefancic does, but those traveling alone or in smaller groups can sometimes find a match on the Web sites of well-known travel publishers, like Frommers.com, Travelandleisure.com, Fodors.com, and Concierge.com (Condé Nast Traveler). Of those, Frommer's is the most generous with walking tour information.

Ready or Not, Electronic Voting Goes National

Mon, 20 Sep 2004 00:29:04 GMT

Just over six weeks before the nation holds the first general election in which touch-screen voting will play a major role, specialists agree that whatever the remaining questions about the technology's readiness, it is now too late to make any significant changes.

Beware of Bots Bearing Messages

Sat, 11 Sep 2004 02:30:22 GMT

Next time a stranger sends you an instant message, don't be sure there's a real person behind the exchange. You may be conversing with Chatting AIM Bot, a free service for pranksters that spews out computer-generated conversation. By Daniel Terdiman.

In Internet Calling, Skype Is Living Up to the Hype

Sat, 11 Sep 2004 01:44:19 GMT

Skype is the easiest, fastest and cheapest way for individual customers to use their computers with broadband connections as telephones.

Porn Sites Big Problem For Small Firms

Fri, 10 Sep 2004 22:50:56 GMT

What are many small-business workers doing when they think nobody's looking? The same thing as workers in large firms: Looking at porn.

Users Sidestep Required Logins For Content Sites

Fri, 10 Sep 2004 22:40:08 GMT

Readers fed up with entering personal information in exchange for accessing Web site content can circumvent the process using BugMeNot.com to generate login names and passwords for sites requiring registration

Finding Web-Friendly Docs

Fri, 10 Sep 2004 22:12:32 GMT

In his latest Web Informant column, David Strom examines online medical information. The medical Web is still in its earliest stages and the quality and reliability of information varies wildly.

Florida to Tax Home Networks ?

Mon, 06 Sep 2004 02:30:02 GMT

Florida state officials are considering taxing home networks that have more than one computer, under a modified 1985 state law that was intended to tax the few businesses that used internal communication networks instead of the local telephone company.

US website offers Caller ID falsification service

Mon, 06 Sep 2004 02:27:12 GMT

Overdue debtors beware: You may not be able to rely on Caller ID to screen out those annoying bill collectors much longer. A California entrepreneur has a plan to bring the hacker technique of Caller ID spoofing to the business world, beginning with collection agencies and private investigators.

Slated for launch this week, Star38.com would offer subscribers a simple Web interface to a Caller ID spoofing system that lets them appear to be calling from any number they choose.

Free Online Legal Service Launched

Mon, 06 Sep 2004 01:45:10 GMT

AP - A nonprofit that helps the poor with legal services launched a free Web site Friday to help people navigate the state and federal courts in California.

Old-Flame Web Sites Boosting Divorce Rates

Mon, 06 Sep 2004 01:43:57 GMT

Reuters - Web sites that reunite and reignite old lovers are helping push up England's divorce rates, according to a UK-based counseling service Wednesday.

Hotels let customers use Net to check in

Wed, 01 Sep 2004 19:56:59 GMT

Radisson Hotels & Resorts this week starts allowing guests to check in via the Internet up to a week before arrival. The industry is giving guests ways to use their electronic gadgetry to minimize waiting or to otherwise enrich their lodging experience. Now available or in the works: electronic, calorie-tabulating menus in hotel restaurants; Wi-Fi-enabled roaming check-in clerks; and recharging cradles in rooms for Apple iPod personal music players.

Couple finally reunited, 88 years after wife's death

Wed, 01 Sep 2004 19:54:05 GMT

The couple have been separated for a century — him buried for 111 years in an unmarked grave near Unionville, Mo., and her ashes stored for 88 years in the basements of Winfield banks. It took reading several newspaper articles, surfing the Internet keystroke by keystroke and a little luck to find a living relative who could take Mary on one final journey.

Dell wants to teach Web surfers a security lesson

Sun, 22 Aug 2004 17:09:50 GMT

Dell has unveiled a plan to educate its customers on how to protect their computers from an onslaught of spyware, adware and viruses. The computer maker has set up a new PC Security site to help customers identify online security threats and ways to handle them. The Web site also features antivirus and antispyware products as well as links to partner sites. Dell also said it would work with a consumer education group, the Internet Education Foundation, to help its customers. For customers who find it difficult to help themselves, troubleshooting will be available for $39 per incident.

Dell will also begin touching on security in its advertising. Its August sales catalog, for example, will include a four-page insert with information on updating Windows, antivirus and antispyware software as well as keeping data backed up, Rodrigue said. The catalogs reach tens of thousands of customers in the United States via U.S. mail, Dell representatives said. Later in the year, Dell plans to begin installing antispam, spyware protection and pop-up-blocking software on its PCs, Rodrigue added. In some respects, Dell is catching up to others, such as Hewlett-Packard. HP has been shipping Intermute's protection suite, which features applications designed to prevent spam, pop-up ads and spyware, on its PCs.

VoIP Terms of Service May Surprise You

Fri, 20 Aug 2004 17:22:52 GMT

Software "End User license Agreements" have gotten a lot of attention in the past over their onerous and restrictive terms, but who would expect such things from your phone company? The prime example is Vonage, ...

Net phone customers brace for 'VoIP spam'

Fri, 20 Aug 2004 16:20:11 GMT

If you're sick of spam, imagine wading through dozens of prerecorded porn and Viagra messages on your voice mail. Some computer security and privacy experts are warning that such a day may not be far off for customers of new Internet phone services, which marry the immediacy of a voice call with the conveniences--and inconveniences--of e-mail.

Computer Security for the Home and Small Office

Fri, 20 Aug 2004 16:16:16 GMT

[A review by Andrew Murphy of the book "Computer Security for the Home and Small Office" by Thomas Greene, The Register's security guru. What may be more interesting are the comments and give and take that follow. For example, how do you characterize an "average" computer user and do they or do they not "care" about "security?"]

Don't Fear Internet Anonymity Tools

Fri, 20 Aug 2004 01:25:53 GMT

... it's getting increasingly difficult to remain anonymous on the Internet. Users can try to work around the system in certain ways, such as fake registrations and refusal of cookies, but, in the end, it's a losing game. After all, your ISP has your entire Internet surfing record right at its fingertips, and even if you trust the ISP, it takes only a subpoena for the government or an organization such as the Recording Industry Association of America to get at your information. That's why it's important to so many of us to find tools that can provide true anonymity while using the Internet.

Sheriff takes search for alleged serial robber to Internet

Thu, 12 Aug 2004 21:38:29 GMT

Hoping to copy the crime-fighting success of America's Most Wanted, the sheriff of largely rural DeWitt County is turning to the Internet for help in solving a series of bank robberies that authorities believe may be linked to the same man.

AOL to sell cheap PCs to seniors, other targeted groups.

Thu, 12 Aug 2004 21:31:21 GMT

America Online Thursday said it plans to sell a low-priced PC targeting low-income and minority households who agree to sign up for a year of dialup Internet service.

Social Networking May Be The Next Social Disease

Tue, 03 Aug 2004 02:12:40 GMT

Strom surveys considers the real social and business networking value of increasingly popular online social networks. As these networks gain wide usage, they pose significant security risks and erode traditional lines between work and play.

P2P drag on nets getting worse

Tue, 03 Aug 2004 01:20:50 GMT

Peer-to-peer traffic has reached an all-time high across the Internet, bringing with it heightened security and legal threats for companies that fail to rid their networks of these popular applications. Nearly 40% of Internet users admitted to downloading and sharing files through peer-to-peer sites while logged on to corporate networks, according to a survey that security vendor Blue Coat Systems conducted in March. [Network World on Security]

Popular Web browsers not written by Microsoft

Fri, 16 Jul 2004 12:24:37 GMT

If you're looking for an alternative to Internet Explorer, there's more out there than just Mozilla. Here's a rundown of some popular Web browsers not written by Microsoft. By Michelle Delio.

Some Corporate Web servers infecting visitors' PCs

Thu, 15 Jul 2004 03:00:16 GMT

Security researchers warned Web surfers on Thursday to be on guard after uncovering evidence that widespread Web server compromises have turned corporate home pages into points of digital infection. The researchers believe that online organized crime groups are breaking into Web servers and surreptitiously inserting code that takes advantage of two flaws in Internet Explorer that Microsoft has not yet fixed. Those flaws allow the Web server to install a program that takes control of the user's computer. Late Thursday (24 June), Microsoft advised customers to increase their browser security to the highest settings, although that could cause some Web site functions to stop working.

TiVo-like camcorder documents your life

Thu, 01 Jul 2004 01:58:39 GMT

Consumer electronics start-up Deja View announced Thursday that it has signed a manufacturing partner for its wearable camcorder.

Deja View's Model 100 has two main components. The camera part is small enough to clip to a cap or a pair of eyeglasses and connects to a recording and storage unit that can be worn on a belt or in a fanny pack. Besides its diminutive size, the Model 100 differs from other camcorders because of a recording approach Deja View promises will eliminate missed shots. Once activated, the Model 100 continually captures whatever it's pointed at and saves the results in a 30-second memory buffer. When a customer experiences something they want to save for posterity, they hit the "record" button and the unit saves the last 30 seconds of footage to a Secure Digital storage card. [One question is what other lives are documented in the process! The illusion of privacy continues to disapate.]

E-gov services go widely unused

Tue, 08 Jun 2004 02:03:10 GMT

The federal government has a long way to go to sell e-government services to the public, according to a survey for the E-Gov Institute's Government Solutions Forum released today.

In a study measuring the public awareness and effectiveness of three of the president's e-government initiatives, the nationwide poll found that most Americans do not turn to the government for information — not even for their hobbies. But when they do, they find the online services useful and are surprised at the depth of the information offered on the sites.